Mara Krausz has written a beautiful journaling/coloring book called Exploring Me. Below, she shares how combining these two activities can help you tap into your intuition and discover new insights into your life.
Tell us your background as a writer.
I became a writer completely by accident.
I had an idea for a TV pilot and was having trouble finding a writer on spec. One day, I decided to write a framework, thinking that might make it easier to get a writer on board.
Friends thought it was pretty good, and I ended up writing the entire script.
After I signed a shopping agreement with a successful television actor, I realized, “I might actually be a writer….” Nobody was more surprised than I.
Since then, I’ve been published in the Boston Globe and have had TV movies produced.
What inspired you to write this book?
A guided journal was originally a suggestion I’d come across.
I’d written about personal development in the past, and it’s something I enjoy. I did a first draft, but it didn’t go further.
When the pandemic happened, and we were all quarantining, I remembered my guided journal. I thought it could be helpful for people to de-stress and self-reflect.
Plus, journaling is an easy way to enjoy some self-care, and it can be done from home.
It also gave me something positive and inspiring to focus on. The whole process of creating the book was such a joy.
Tell us why journaling is so important for people.
Journaling is a wonderful tool for self-reflection that can help us to better understand ourselves, reflect on our beliefs (whether they still resonate, what’s shaped them, etc.), examine our perspectives, and delve into what we want to shift.
It’s also useful for exploring and processing our emotions.
Another area where journaling can shine a light is on the numerous stories we tell ourselves. Some of these are disempowering, distracting, or keep us from trusting our intuition.
Often, they’re not even ours—they come from societal or cultural beliefs, family, friends, etc.
Journaling can assist us to make new insights, including what we’re holding onto that’s not ours. It can help us identify the underlying roots/influences of our fears, disempowering patterns, habits, etc.
Understanding why and where something stems from can help us to release it.
Tell us 2-3 ways this book is better than just a regular journal.
The book uniquely combines journaling and coloring.
Coloring helps to quiet the mind, which makes it easier for intuitive insights to arise. You can color while you reflect on the writing prompts, letting the insights flow. Alternatively, you can color before turning to the prompts to get yourself into a calmer, more contemplative state.
Some people find the blank pages of a regular journal intimidating. Writing prompts take away the stress of figuring out what to write about and provide an easy-to-follow structure. They can also inspire new ideas and reveal perspectives readers may not have considered otherwise.
You can also use the book for a group activity where everyone colors while supporting each other in discussing the writing prompts.
Tell us about the process of creating this journaling book.
Originally, the book was meant to simply be a guided journal. When I started to think about what the layout would look like and if there would be illustrations, I had an epiphany—make it a coloring book too!
That changed everything. It became a whole new book, and a unique one. I’m so grateful for that inspiration.
Plus journaling and coloring mesh well together since they have complementary benefits like reducing anxiety.
How did you illustrate this journaling book?
The illustrator is the lovely and talented Madalina Tantareanu, who is based in Berlin.
She’s not normally a coloring book artist, so her illustrations have a different vibe from those in your average coloring book, which I like since the book isn’t your typical guided journal.
The writing prompts are on various topics, such as forgiveness, intuition, and transformation. Madalina and I had so much fun deciding what illustrations would best represent each one.
For example, a stunning confident peacock represents empower. The book layout and design was beautifully done by Sarah Darby.
How did writing a journaling book change you as a person?
The book opened up another path in addition to screenwriting.
I enjoy helping people work through their concerns and connecting with their intuition. Not just friends, but even people I meet randomly, will open up about what they’re going through. I’ll try to help them make their own realizations.
The book feels like an extension, in a way, of what I’ve already been doing. I also would like to do workshops where we discuss the writing prompts together while coloring.
What do you hope is the main take-away for readers reading this book?
I like to say that “the beauty of a journal is that it gives you the space to make your own discoveries without being rigid about how to do it.”
I prefer to empower people to make their own discoveries rather than telling them to adhere to a specific technique or believe in a particular philosophy/teaching.
Although this was my intention, I didn’t specifically state it in the book, so I was very grateful when I received the following note from a reader:
“I’ve read self-help books but this was different. This book is not telling you what you think. Your book allows us to think about what is inside of us and the beliefs we have. Even if we don’t know we have them or maybe we do but don’t realize they are keeping us stuck.”
That this person was able to sense that, even without my saying it, meant a lot.
Tell us why you think learning to trust yourself is so important in life?
We all have our own unique journeys and paths. What is right for one person may not be ideal for someone else.
However, we’re often conditioned to look externally for validation and guidance, so we may give these sources precedence. Just because someone has more experience, training, etc., it doesn’t mean you should disregard your own intuition if it is telling you differently.
Our intuition is such a valuable guide and resource. The number one piece of advice I usually give people is to trust their intuition.
Quieting the mind helps us tune into our intuition. When our mind is overanalyzing, we may not notice the more subtle messages or we may disregard them.
Practice helps as well. Honing our intuition with smaller things that have lower stakes/risk can help to build up our confidence in it. Cultivating self-love also helps. When you question your self-worth, it can be harder to trust in yourself and your intuition.
* * *
Mara Krausz is a Los Angeles-based writer of books and television, specializing in personal development and romantic comedy.
Her work has appeared in the Boston Globe.
Prior to writing, she took a delicious detour through the world of chocolate as a co-founder of an artisanal chocolate company.
For more information on Mara and her work, please see her website, and connect with her on Twitter and Instagram.
“Exploring Me: A Guided Journal for Self-Discovery and Creative Expression” is a unique combination of guided journal and coloring book that encourages self-discovery as it sparks your creativity.
As a guided journal, it takes you on a journey via thought-provoking writing prompts to expand your self-understanding and explore your perspectives.
The beautiful illustrations to color help you connect with your inner child as you relax and have fun. Why just have a guided journal when you can have a coloring book too!
Available at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.